Lander University has received a $100,000 gift from the estate of a Greenwood man to create a scholarship fund primarily benefiting students majoring in business and nursing.
The bequest from William Karhl Bosserman establishes a Lander endowment fund in his name and the name of his late wife, Lula Louise Little Bosserman. In his will, Bosserman stated that he and his wife retired to Greenwood more than 20 years ago and they wanted to give something back to the community.
The Bossermans were married for 72 years until her death in 2007. He died in May of 2011, two weeks short of his 100th birthday. The bequest to Lander reflects their working careers. He was a supervisor at a manufacturing plant in Follansbee, W. Va., and she retired as a registered nurse at a hospital in Fairmont, W. Va.
Eleanor Teal, retired vice president of Lander's Office of University Advancement, said she met Bosserman several years ago through their mutual friend, Curtis Clark, and talked with him about Lander and opportunities for creating scholarships at the university. She added, "He was a humble, bright and generous individual who was also a dear friend."
The check creating the endowment fund was presented to Lander president Dr. Daniel Ball by Tim Stewart of Greenwood, a friend of the Bossermans and executor of the estate.
Ball described the gift as a wonderful act of generosity that will provide valuable financial support to deserving students for some time to come.